Tufted carpet generally includes tufts of yarn stitched through a backing fabric and glued in place with an adhesive or bonding agent. The loops may be left in place in looped pile carpets such as Berbers, or cut to form a cut pile carpet. The backing is typically a plastic material such as polypropylene but other types of backing may be used. In some applications, a secondary backing such as a fabric or latex element is applied under the primary backing. In other applications, a padding layer or element may also be included, or a separate carpet pad may be laid on the floor before applying the carpet.
Installation of the carpet on the floor typically includes cutting a piece of carpet so that it overlaps the edge of the floor by a predetermined amount. Once the carpet is cut, positioned and any seams between adjoining carpet pieces sealed so that the carpet fills the desired space, the carpet is attached. Typically a knee kicker is used to attach the carpet along one edge. The knee kicker is a tool that includes a toothed end that engages the carpet. A padded portion of the tool is kicked by the installer toward the wall to stretch the carpet edge over a tacked strip that grabs the edge of the carpet and holds it in place. With one side of the carpet attached with the knee kicker, a carpet stretcher is used to attach the remaining edges of the carpet.
The carpet stretcher is similar to the knee kicker but much longer. A head of the carpet stretcher has teeth to grab the carpet and an activation lever to stretch the carpet over the tack strip. A tail end of the carpet stretcher extends away from the head and is placed against the wall where the carpet is attached. The tail end engages a supporting structure so that activation of a lever arm on the head of the carpet stretcher applies a force against the structure via the tail end while forcing the head away from the tail to stretch a free end of the carpet over a tack strip.